But sometime during the past year, the Colorado Rockies had started to take some of that away.

I’ll watch too many games this year, get too invested and eventually be let down. I know this. It’s a fact of sports.

It’s just the general fundamentals the Rockies have come to accept that are frustrating.

Whenever the team has expectations, it falters. When the spotlight isn’t on them, they succeed.

It’s not a foreign concept. But in this, their 20th year, it’s getting infuriating. There is something to be said in any sport about a team that or an individual who meets expectations. It’s easy to be under the radar and succeed when no one cares and no one is watching. It’s something completely different to be in the spotlight and succeed. If they say in New York, “If you can succeed here, you can succeed anywhere,” what should they say about the Rockies?

“If you succeed here, people are surprised?”

Regardless, I see the Rockies winning 76 games this year. Of course, my expectations are lowered so you know what that means. Championship.

Here are my picks for the year:

■ American League MVP: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit — The best hitter in the game gets to hit in front of Prince Fielder now? Yikes.